A productive first season as a key member of one of the NFL’s strongest defenses has earned Sheldon Richardson a major honor.
The NFL announced Saturday that Richardson, the Jets’ promising rookie defensive tackle, has been voted 2013 Defensive Rookie of the Year by the Associated Press.
The 23-year-old Richardson notched 77 tackles and 3.5 sacks in 16 games (15 starts). He also rushed for a pair of touchdowns on offense.
In December, Richardson made some headlines by suggesting he could be the No. 1 pick in a re-do of the 2013 draft.
Today’s news doesn’t hurt the argument that he may have been on to something.